Burn
by Ravens-Despair
Summary: CHAPTER TWO HAS BEEN FIXED! READ! IMPORTANT DETAILS INSIDE! After a rocky breakup with Raven, Robin meets a spunky beauty named Lydia. She looks vaguely familiar... Who is she and what ties does she have to Robin?
1. Lydia

**Burn**

**Chapter One**

**Disclaimer: **DUDE! I DON'T OWN TEEN TITANS! GOD! I only own Lydia.

**A/N:**** It helps to have **_**some **_**sort of knowledge of Batman/Teen Titans comics. No, Lydia is not a character from either. She's my OC. In later chapters, if you are ignorant of those comics, you **_**will **_**get confused. If you haven't read the comics, I suggest you read as many Wikipedia articles as you can on those topics. This is for your own good.**

* * *

_TSSSSSSSS!!!_

Robin flipped the pancake, gripping his green and red spatula with great force. With his white earbuds planted firmly in his ears, he was in the zone.

_"Now I'm losing blood from my veins  
They're slowly emptying  
I'm bothered by this crimson red  
To the color of blood  
To the color of a B  
The color of a L  
To the color of a O  
The color of O  
To the color of a Deep  
Crimson red  
From a little bitty accident  
ACCIDENT,"_

infiltrated his mind, setting a steady tattoo to which he mixed the pancake batter and poured the thick liquid onto the griddle. "Shit," he muttered when his bare finger dared to linger too close to the griddle's intense heat. He sucked on the throbbing skin as he ventured to the freezer for a cube of instant relief. After delicately interlinking his injured finger and the ice cube with a paper towel, he set the finished pancakes on the kitchen table along with what appeared to be scrambled eggs. There, standing before him with a mug in hand, was Raven.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_Robin ran his hands up and down Raven's bare back as his tongue wrestled furiously with her's. A soft moan emitted from the depths of the empath's throat as Robin pushed her back onto his waiting bed. The young hero crawled on top of Raven and kissed her all over her trembling body. _

_"Robin," whispered the empath, "I love you."_

_Robin lay beside the apple of his eye. "I love you, too," he replied with a smile. He stared into those amethyst eyes that made him so weak; he was melting. "You're beautiful."_

_Raven winced as something in the distance exploded. She glanced at Robin and they shared a laugh._

* * *

Raven cocked an eyebrow as Robin stared on, as if in a trance. "Hello?" 

Robin came to and shook his head. "Morning," he grumbled. He turned away from the confused empath and removed his batter stained black apron. As he hung it on the appropriate hook, a curious green bloodhound stumbled onto the scene, sniffing the air.

Beast Boy showed his true form, salivating at the mouth. He eyeballed the steaming stack of pancakes hungrily. "Are those-"

"Yes, you can eat those. I even used egg substitutes," Robin assured, knowledgeable of Beast Boy's usual question. He was secretly grateful of the distraction Beast Boy provided.

Beast Boy grinned and took a seat at the table. As the rest of the Titans joined the changeling, Robin left the kitchen.

"Friend Robin, do you not wish to take part in the Earthling daily ritual of Fast Breaking?" Starfire inquired as she loaded her plate.

Robin shook his head. "No, Star. I think I'm just going to leave. I'll be back soon," he replied. He waited for Starfire's nod of comprehension. He then made his way to his room.

* * *

Robin lowered the hood of his ebony Fischerspooner sweatshirt, enjoying the way the warm breeze affectionately licked his face. The autumn wind frolicked with his blades of jet black hair, inspiring them to dance and wave. Robin pushed open the glass door of the local eatery, holding it open as a pasty teenage girl with endless teal pigtails entered alongside him. She silently thanked him with a thin smile and received a smile in return. Robin made his way to the counter and gestured to his usual cashier. The cashier promptly handed him a _Gotham Times _and informed him that the woman behind the deli counter had his usual order waiting. Robin thanked her and took a seat by the window. He unfurled the paper as he sampled his sugarless black coffee and cream-cheese-on-cinnamon-raisin bagel. Something soft grazed his face. He glanced up at the perpetrator. 

"Oh, I'm sorry," apologized the teen with the teal hair. A purple flip phone emerged from her plaid shorts, heading for the hardwood floor in a downward spiral.

With the agility of an experienced cheetah, Robin's arm swooped down and saved the phone from a devastating crash. He returned the phone to the grateful teen.

"Thank you!" she smiled. She took the other seat at Robin's booth. The teen twisted the cap off of her Pepsi Twist as she skimmed the headline of Robin's paper, sighing. After a long swig of her drink, she introduced herself. "I'm Lydia," she announced.

"I'm Robin," The Boy Wonder replied as he outstretched his hand out of habit.

Lydia stared at Robin's ungloved hand. She cocked an eyebrow. "Dude, how old are you?" she scoffed.

Robin, embarrassed, quickly retracted his hand. He looked away to prevent his acquaintance from seeing him flush. He turned back to see a pair of large black-eyelined blue eyes watching his every move. Lydia giggled as Robin drew back, startled. She peered out of the glass that separated them from the streets. Robin attempted to catch what she was staring at, but to no avail.

Lydia glanced back at the hero. "Fischerspooner? Are you a raver?" she inquired, gesturing to Robin's sweatshirt.

Robin looked down. "No," he replied.

"Techie?"

"Nah. It's my girlfr- _ex_ girlfriend's."

Lydia nodded as she downed the rest of her soda. "That's cool. I used to wear my ex's stuff. Maybe you miss her or-"

"No!" Robin exclaimed suddenly. He sank further into his seat as he felt a dozen pairs of eyes boring into his skin. Lydia giggled as she impaled a cherry tomato with her plastic fork and sent it to its doom. "Vegetarian?" Robin wondered aloud. Lydia nodded, her cheeks resembling that of a chipmunk's. "Do you ever slip up?"

Lydia swallowed and shook her head. "No, I'm quite committed." As she was about to speak again, her phone began to play a portion of a techno song Robin recognized. Lydia flipped open her phone and began to push random buttons. She emitted a groan worthy of an Oscar and glanced at the Boy Wonder. "I have to go," she announced begrudgingly, discarding her empty plastic container.

Robin acknowledged this with a slight nod as he finished his coffee. In one swift move, Lydia firmly grasped his hand and whipped out a ballpoint pen. In red ink, she disclosed her phone number and closed Robin's hand. She bit her lip as a smile danced on the Boy Wonder's lips. She mouthed her farewell and made her exit. Entranced, Robin peeked into his hand. He quickly inputted the number into his T-Comm. As he stood up to discard his garbage, something caught his eye. There, in the seat on which Lydia sat, was a laminated visitor's pass to Arkham Asylum.

* * *

The gaseous ball of heat lit the playing field on which good and evil fought almost daily. A glowing taxi sped toward an animated stone figure, causing significant damage, but did nothing to halt it. A chorus of "Booyah"s and "Azarath Metrion Zinthos"s later, Cinderblock was no more. 

Starfire returned to the ground and cheered, "We are victorious!"

Cyborg grinned and lowered his arm cannon, slapping Beast Boy a high-five. Raven lowered her hood, a thin smile planted on her lips. A coughing figure emerged from the grey cloud of settling debris.

"Friend Robin! We have defea-"

"Where were you?" demanded Raven, a hand firmly planted on her hip.

Robin deflected Raven's death glare. "I didn't hear my T-Comm go off. I just followed the crowd and saw Cinderblock on the ground. And here I am," he answered.

Raven rolled her eyes and pulled on her hood. Cyborg glanced at Raven and then at Robin. "So... Who wants pizza?" he asked, attempting to dismantle the tension.

Robin refused. "I'm just gonna head home," he announced. As the rest of the Titans headed for their usual pizza joint, Robin headed in the opposite direction, reaching into his pocket to run his fingers over the laminated surface of the abandoned visitor's pass as he thought about his dream girl. _She looked so familiar... Who is she?_

* * *

_PLOP!_

Robin massaged a handful of gel through his jet black hair, making sure each tuft received an even amount. He sculpted his hair into its usual spiky style. Satisfied with his looking glass doppelganger, Robin extinguished the light in his bathroom and shut the door behind him. He flipped open his communications device to check the time. 4:35. _I'm going to be late,_ he said to himself as he adjusted his grey striped tee. He ran his ungloved hands through his hair one last time and jetted out the front door.

Robin took a deep breath as he pushed open the door to the local cafe. The obligatory indie background music floated through the air, bringing a sense of calm to the nervous hero. He scanned the room for his date. His eyes lit up as he spotted her, seated in a corner booth sipping from an enormous plastic cup. Lydia smiled as Robin approached.

"You made it!" she exclaimed with a smile.

Robin grinned as he claimed the seat across from her. "Yeah, it looks like I have." He gestured toward Lydia's iced beverage. "What's good here?" he inquired, suddenly realizing his hunger.

Lydia twitched her nose in thought, a quirk Robin has only witnessed once before, and he did not enjoy what had followed. Lydia began to give Robin a virtual list of the cafe's finest culinary selections. Robin figured he'd be most happy with the coffee, suddenly realizing that he was in a _vegetarian_ cafe.

As Robin returned to the table with his steaming coffee in hand, Lydia's dark blond eyebrows shot up. "What's with you and coffee? It's nearly evening."

Robin swallowed his mouthful. "I'm just used to having to stay up for quite some time. I'm always ready for action," he replied, ignoring the snicker that came from Lydia as he uttered the word 'action'.

The pair talked for hours, getting acquainted and growing closer. Laughs were shared, as were cocked eyebrows and glances of longing and want. Robin's hand wandered into his jeans pocket, remembering the visitor's pass. He withdrew the thin laminated card, presenting it to a baffled Lydia.

"How did you get this? I was looking for that!" she cried as she snatched it from Robin.

Robin explained how the pass came to be in his possession. Lydia nodded, thanking the Boy Wonder for retrieving her pass. "Why do you have that?" he wondered, sipping his coffee.

Lydia stuffed the pass into the safety of her kelly green cargo pants pocket. "Just some fool I'm related to." Robin's yellow T-Comm caught her eye. "I've seen one of those before..." she mused.

Robin glanced down at his T-Comm. "Well, of course. I'm a Teen Titan!"

Lydia donned a mask of bewilderment. "...is that some sort of celebrity...?"

Robin's mouth fell agape. "Where are you from?!" he asked, astonished.

"Gotham. I've been here about a month. Maybe more," Lydia answered, innocently stirring her wheatgrass smoothie.

"The Teen Titans are a group of heroes, devoted to protecting Jump City from crime of any caliber," Robin explained. He ran his hands through his mane, shocked that Lydia was ignorant of the Titans. _Even if she's from Gotham, she should at least know who _I _am._

Lydia glanced down at her mobile phone. 8:10. "Damn, I've got to go. I hate to keep leaving you like this."

Robin scowled, angry at the concept of time and schedules. A soft tap on his shoulder interrupted his time of reflection. He glanced up and was greeted with soft, moist lips on his cheek. His date giggled as Robin began to flush a deep rose. As Lydia turned to leave, Robin grabbed her hand, halting her.

"Look, if you ever want to drop by, call me. You're welcome anytime," he divulged, loosening his grip.

Lydia grinned and nodded. Robin let go and watched the teal-coiffed beauty make her exit. He turned around, grinning to himself.

_The world could end at this very moment and I wouldn't care. She's amazing._

* * *

**Chya, an uneventful first chapter. WOO! I'd be grateful if you reviewed. It took me forever to write this.  
I promise, the story will live up to its genre soon. **


	2. You Are the Moon

**Burn**

**Chapter Two**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Manic Panic or The Hush Sound or any of their songs. I do, however, own _Super Robot Monkey Dance Disco Dude _1, 2, and 3. I also own Lydia.

* * *

"Tonight, I am the drug you can't deny! Tonight, GAR gonna get you high," the young green changeling sang, his slender legs propelling him continuously into the air around the lushly carpeted living room. A piercing _DING DONG!_ interrupted his concert performance. Beast Boy groaned and dragged himself to the front door. "Who is it?" he asked half-heartedly. 

His heart began to race as a female voice answered, "Lydia!"

Beast Boy studied the small LCD screen to view the body from which the voice came. "Woah! She's hot!" he murmured dreamily as he studied Lydia's prominent features. He pressed- no, _slammed_- the button that opened the door and drank in the beauty of the figure that stood before him.

"Um, hi!" Lydia greeted, becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the unwanted attention.

Beast Boy licked his hand and slicked back his dark green hair as he leaned against the wall. "I'm Beast Boy," he greeted smoothly, offering his hand.

Lydia glanced down at Beast Boy's dripping hand in disgust. "Uh...yeah..." She glanced around. "Where's Robin?" she inquired.

"Huh?" Beast Boy pushed himself off the wall and followed the wandering Lydia. "Robin? How do you know him?"

"He invited me here," Lydia replied.

Robin emerged from his room. He rushed over stealthily and wrapped his arms around Lydia's petite frame from behind, lifting her off the floor in his embrace. Lydia giggled as Robin relinquished his visceral grip. Beast Boy retrieved his jaw from the floor.

"How come you get all the hot chicks?!" he insisted, his arms folded.

Lydia shot the changeling a scowl. As the pair settled onto the couch, Lydia gestured toward the fidgeting Beast Boy. "Is he your roommate?"

Robin, his hands dawdling through Lydia's teal forest of hair, nodded. "Yeah. Beast Boy. There's also Cyborg and Starfire," Robin informed.

"And Raven," Beast Boy added.

"And Raven," Robin repeated, begrudgingly.

Lydia nodded, her interest dwindling. "Cool," she said, watching as Beast Boy initiated his Game Station. "_Super Robot Monkey Dance Disco Dude 3: Extreme Edition_," Lydia murmured, reading the box that was nestled in the young changeling's hand. "DUDE! You have the _extreme _edition?! That was in limited release!" she cried, her blue eyes glistening with wonder.

Beast Boy's ears perked up. _Did she just... no way!_ He whirled around, his mouth agape and excitement dancing in his emerald eyes. "You _know _this game? DUDE!"

"DUDE!" Lydia mimicked, matching Beast Boy's intensity and excitement.

A door snapped open and out popped Cyborg, who whizzed into the living room and somersaulted onto the couch. "Did someone say _Super Robot Monkey Dance Disco Dude 3_?!"

Lydia giggled. "You must be Cyborg!"

Cyborg turned to the young teen, viewing her for the first time. "Yeah!" he assured with a grin.

Lydia flung a wireless dance pad in his direction. "I'm Lydia. And I'm gonna show you how this game is played," she smirked, adjusting the dance settings to match her expertise.

Cyborg leaned toward Robin. "Who's she?" he whispered.

Robin grinned proudly toward the furiously dancing Lydia. "My girlfriend," he replied.

Cyborg nodded slowly, muttering "Lucky bastard" under his breath.

Between the endless loop of _Perfect!_'s and _Super Monkey Moonwalk!_'s, Raven wandered out of her lair, wary of the thunderous racket. She massaged her throbbing head and lowered the hood of her midnight blue cloak. She glided into the bathroom, shuffling through the various analgesics until she found what she was searching for. She popped off its top and downed 3 or 5- it's all the same when they're careening down your throat- and replaced the cap, closing the medicine cabinet. The empath studied her sleepless reflection in disgust, all the while wondering where she went wrong. _Who are you?_ she demanded, but was only answered with the same question. Raven raised her trembling hand to her face, attempting to fend off the intruding under-eye circles. A lethargic sigh was released into the shadows as the sullen teen closed the door behind her.

With her hands buried deep in the pockets of her grey cord pants, Raven made her way into the kitchen. She set her favorite mug on the countertop and began to boil her water. She recovered a lone chamomile tea bag from the depths of her tea cabinet and placed it beside her mug. Raven propped herself upon the counter, her legs swinging to and fro in a steady cadence, her violet eyes inverted in deep thought. She immediately turned away as the Boy Wonder wandered in, his new beau on his arm.

"Raven!" Robin acknowledged, with a smile that Raven believed ranked with the highest of cynics.

Raven faced her ex and_ that girl_. _Don't say a word. Don't say a word. Don't say a word..._ "Hi, Robin."

Robin gestured toward the blue-nette. "This is-"

"Lydia," Lydia concluded. An uneasy smile formed steadily, at the rate of one-eighth of a smile per second.

Raven pleased them with the insincerest of smiles as she checked the status of her water. She meticulously poured the water into her mug and added the tea bag. She hopped down from the counter and weaved her way through the dastardly twosome to the refrigerator. After inspecting its contents for a moment (including the questionable furry blue substance), Raven decided that her best interest was in the pantry instead. She retrieved a package of Ramen noodles and prepared it as instructed. She drummed her fingertips on the smooth countertop, waiting for her noodles to boil.

"So... How are you?" Lydia asked, breaking silence's lengthy reign.

Raven turned around and propped her elbows upon the counter, her steel glare directed toward the wall. "Great," she lied.

Lydia peered down at the floor, wondering what she did to deserve Raven's wrath. "I like your hair," she muttered half-heartedly.

Caught off-guard, Raven turned toward Lydia. "Thanks," she murmured, disarmed by the compliment.

Lydia glanced up at the empath, a smile blossoming on her lips. "What dye do you use?" she wondered, inspecting Raven's purple coif.

Raven cocked an eyebrow. "It's natural," she replied, as-a-matter-of-factly.

Lydia ran a hand through her own mane. "Mine- Manic Panic. I'm a natural blond," she laughed.

Raven shook her head as a thin smile danced on her lips. The faint sonance of water boiling floated through her ears. She added the "oriental" flavor packet to the noodles, stirring the slimy concoction with a wooden spoon. Raven then poured the soup into a faded violet saucer, placing the used utensils into the dishwasher. She grabbed her bowl and mug, glanced longingly at the couple dining on ice cream and soda, and made her way to her room.

* * *

_Shadows all around you as you surface from the dark  
Emerging from the gentle grip of night's unfolding arms  
Darkness, darkness everywhere, do you feel alone?  
The subtle grace of gravity, the heavy weight of stone_

Raven lay in the darkness of her bedroom, surrounded by the familiar shadows, wishing to join their ranks. _Doesn't he miss me?_ she wondered as she hugged her knees for dear life. She released her grip and allowed herself to fall backward. She rolled over and held Robin's ghost, comforted by memories.

_You don't see what you possess, a beauty calm and clear  
It floods the sky and blurs the darkness like a chandelier  
All the light that you possess is skewed by lakes and seas  
The shattered surface, so imperfect, is all that you believe_

Her amethyst eyes remained shut, knowing that the moment she opened them, her spectral visitor would dissipate. Heated tears of regret streamed down her cheeks, bringing her black mascara with them.

_I will bring a mirror, so silver, so exact  
So precise and so pristine, a perfect pane of glass  
I will set the mirror up to face the blackened sky  
You will see your beauty every moment that you rise_

Raven finally opened her eyes as the memory of Robin's comfort faded. She stared at the black of her ceiling until its image burned into her retinas.  
_I'm alone..._

* * *

**Review, please. It would mean a lot to me. Next chapter coming soon!**


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